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Education Specialist Angela Pierce shows some of the mounted specimens of dragonflies and other insects which you can see at the Nature Center.

The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center offers sessions regularly where you can learn about insects and many of the other wonders of nature in our area. The Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., with grounds and trails open seven days a week.

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What's up with all the dragonflies?

by Elane Moonier Staff Reporter

For several days last week every time I stepped out into the back yard, swarms of dragonflies seemed to fill the air, darting around in some kind of flying frenzy like I had never seen before. There were so many that when we tried to play baseball we ended up swatting more dragonflies than balls.

After the third day of the attack of the dragonflies my curiosity peaked and I decided to take a drive to the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center to see if they could tell me where all these insects were coming from and what was going on.

Everyone at the Conservation Center was extremely gracious and helpful, and they directed me to Angela Pierce, education specialist, who was very well informed on the state of the dragonflies. She explained that an unusually large volume of dragonflies are emerging from the nymph stage into the adult stage at this time, and as soon as they make these emergence they are in a frenzy to eat and lay their eggs. Most likely, she said, the rains we have had in the past week or so have helped to increase the number of these insects emerging into the adult stage.

She explained the life cycle of the dragonfly, noting that most of its life, usually one to two years, is spent in the nymph stage. The eggs are laid in or near water, and these soon hatch into the nymphs. In this stage they live beneath the surface of the water and eat mosquito larvae, other invertebrates and even tadpoles or small fish.

After a few years, the nymphs climb out of the water onto a reed or plant and start to breath. The skin splits at a weak point behind the head and the adult dragonfly crawls out, plumps its wings and flies off to feed. The dragonflies which are swarming now have recently reached this adult stage.

Why are they in such a frenzy to feed and lay eggs? It is because they will only live a short while, a few months at best. While they are in this stage they are beneficial, in that they eat other pesky insects such as mosquitoes, flies, ants and bees. You don’t have to be afraid of them because they don’t bite people.

At the Conservation Nature Center everyone has the opportunity to learn about these and other insects through special events held on a regular schedule. Last Friday and Saturday the Center offered sessions on insect collection, where participants could learn how to catch, pin and identify insects.

On Saturday, Aug. 28 at the Center, the Discovery Station program ‘Incredible Insects,’ will be offered from 1-4 p.m. This program will familiarize participants with some of Missouri’s insects and what makes them so unique. It is open to all ages and no registration is required.

On Thursday, Sept. 9, from 5-8 p.m., a ‘Nature Center at Night’ program will be presented. Participants can traverse the tall grasses and plants at the Nature Center to discover some of the insects of Missouri. They will use sweep nets to collect and release insects to discover what makes them insects, how they survive and why they are so important. This program is open to all ages and no registration is required. The insects programs are just a few of the many programs offered at the Nature Center.

I would like to give a special thanks to all the staff at the Nature Center who were so helpful in answering my questions and providing me with this information, especially Angela, and also Charlie Wilson, a volunteer, who provided a colorful photo of the dragonfly. The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is open Tuesday- Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the grounds and trails open seven days a week.